Imphal, Dec. 9: The Okram Ibobi Singh government has decided to create seven new districts out of six existing ones by upgrading seven subdivisions. Manipur will now have 16 districts.

The decision was taken at 1.30am following a discussion with his cabinet colleagues and senior officials.

The government issued a gazette notification today, creating Kangpokpi district out of Senapati, Jiribam district out of Imphal East, Kakching district out of Thoubal, Tengnoupal district out of Chandel, Kamjong district out of Ukhrul, Pherzawl district out of Churachandpur and Noney district out of Tamenglong.

The boundaries of the districts will be demarcated according to the existing boundaries of the sub-divisions. In case of any disputes relating to the boundaries, the matter will be decided by a district boundary commission headed by a retired high court judge with secretaries of home, revenue and tribal affairs and hills departments as members.

The department of personnel has also posted deputy commissioners and superintendents of police for the new districts.

The move comes at a time when the United Naga Council (UNC) has been opposing the plans of the state government to create Jiribam and Sadar Hills districts out of Senapati district.

The UNC had imposed an indefinite economic blockade along National Highway-2 (Imphal-Dimapur road) and National Highway-37 (Imphal-Jiribam road) since November 1 against the move.

No UNC leader could be reached for comment. The president of the UNC, Gaidon Kamei, is now in police custody. He was arrested last month in connection with the economic blockade.

There were reports of celebrations by the people residing in the newly created districts.

"Manipur belongs to all communities residing in it. Naga, Kuki, Nepali, Muslim, Meitei and other communities reside together in the new districts. No community can stake claim over the land where they settle. The government is levying tax to show that the land belongs to the government," Ibobi Singh said at a Congress conference today.

He appealed to all communities to live in peace and remove misunderstandings so that the state's integrity remains intact.

The Naga Peoples Front (NPF), Manipur unit, expressed its opposition to the creation of the new districts. "No cabinet or Assembly decision can force the hill areas unless the Hill Areas Committee of the Assembly gives its consent....The NPF questions the boundaries of the newly created districts. The government should have properly consulted all stakeholders of any newly created district to avoid division of the smaller community," said Honreikhui Kashung, the general secretary of the NPF.

Leaders of citizens organisations, taking part in a people's convention on the economic blockade, expressed surprise at the creation of the new districts and some of them hailed the decision.